Support for menu-cards, newspapers, and other articles.



948,955. Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

' H. P. DARGHE & A. SUHWBR. SUPPORT FOR MENU CARDS, NEWSPAPERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES. APPLICATION FILED $111.27, 1909.

HARRY P. DARGHE AND ADOLPI-I SOHWER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SUPPORT FOR MENU-CARDS, NEWSPAPERS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY I. DAROI-IE and ADoLrH SCHWER, citizens of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Support for Menu-Cards, Newspapers, and other Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved support for menu cards, newspapers and the like and the principal object of the in vention is to provide for supporting cards, papers or other thin articles of different sizes and forms.

The invention also relates to certain details of construction of the support which will be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the improved support. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same with a section through the base. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one of the upper ends of the U-shaped portion. Fig. 4 is a section on line a a, Fig. 1.

In referring to the drawings, in detail like numerals designate like parts.

The preferable form pf the support as shown in the accompanying drawings, consists of a wire framedike structure having a main or middle substantially U-shaped member, two side members or arms pivoted to the upper terminals of the U-shaped member and a metal base to which pendent wires extending from the U-shaped member are fastened.

The U-shaped member is preferably con structed of one integral piece of wire and consists of two U-shaped portions 1 and 2 which extend substantially parallel and are separated sufiiciently to permit the insertion between them of a thin article such as menu cards for a restaurant.

In forming the U-shaped member a suitable section of wire is bent or curved upon itself to form the rear U-shaped portion 1 and at the upper ends of said rear portion each end of the wire is bent outwardly upon itself and extended downward for a short distance as shown at 3 to form short outer vertical portions which extend vertical and parallel with the vertical sides of the U- shaped portion 1. At the lower ends of each of the vertical portions 3 the wire is bent or curved outwardly upon itself to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1909.

Patented Feb. .8, 1910.

Serial No. 492,492.

form eye portions 4c and then extended inwardly for a short distance to form short horizontal portions 5. The portions 5 terminate at points in alinement with the U- shaped portion 1 and the wire ends are bent downward at said points at approximately right angles to form the sides of the forward U-shaped portion 2.

The wire ends extend vertically down in parallelism with the sides of the U-shaped portion 1 and to points about horizontally opposite the beginning of the bend in the lower portion of the rear U-shaped portion 1 and then curl spirally upon themselves to form spiral supporting parts 6 which are separated sufliciently from the forward por tion of the U-shaped member to permit the insertion and support of a'newspaper or other article in the space between. The wire ends below the spirals continue to curve in correspondence with the lower curved part of the rear U-shaped portion 1 and near their ends are bent laterally and wound spirally around said curved lower part of the rear U-shaped portion as shown at 7 in Fig. 1 and fastened thereto by solder or other suitable means. The end portions 8 of the wire extend vertically downward and are fastened to a suitable base as will be hereinafter described. Two side members or arms 9 are provided each of which is pivoted at one end to one of the eyes 1 by a pivot pin or rivet 10 which passes through an eye 11 at one end of the side member and one of the eyes 4 of the Ushaped member. These side members or arms are substantially alike and are formed of a single sec tion of wire having an enlarged loop at one end and an eye 11 at the opposite end as previously set forth. The base to which the support is attached and from which it extends upward at a slant backward from the perpendicular may be cast or otherwise made of any suitable metal and in any well known way.

The preferred structure of base shown in the accompanying drawings is cast in a sub stantially square like form having a body 12 provided with openings 13 through which the wire ends 8 are fitted and fastened by a bolt 14 or other suitable fastening, an extension 15 upon which a box of matches may be fitted and a rectangular opening 16 in which an ash tray 17 is removably supported.

In supporting a menu card or other comparatively small article the article is fitted in place between the rear and forward portion of the U-shaped member. The wire of the portions of the U-shaped member may be located in proximity or actual contact at some points so as to grip and retain the article in place with a spring tension. To suppoit a newspaper or other comparatively large article, the arms 9 are turned on their pivots to a substantially horizontal position and the newspaper is fitted in the space between the spirals 6 and the forward portion 2 of the U-shaped member with the outer portions of the newspaper resting against the arms 9 so that the newspaper is supported in open position. The arms 9 may be locked or held in their adjusted position in a variety of ways. In the accompanying drawings, a simple and convenient means is shown which consists in fitting a split spring washer 18 on the pivot pin or rivet 10 between the eyes a and 11.

The chief advantages of this device are in the simplicity, strength and cheapness of its construction, and the convenient manner in which it can be utilized to support thin articles of different sizes.

IV e claim 1. In a support for menu cards, newspapers or other like articles, a base and a wire frame extending from the base and comprising a substantially U-shaped member consisting of two portions separated sufficiently to permit the insertion of a menu card or like article between them and two side members each pivoted to one of the upper terminals of the substantially U-shaped member.

2. In a support for menu cards, newspapers or other like articles, a base and a wire frame extending from the base and comprising a substantially U-shaped member consisting of two portions separated sufficiently to permit the insertion of a menu card or like article between them and one of said portions having spirally curled parts and two side members each pivoted to one of the upper terminals of the substantially U-shaped member; said arms being adapted to cooperate with the spirally curled parts to support a newspaper or other comparatively large thin article.

3. In a support for menu cards, newspapers or other like articles, a base and a wire frame extending from the base and comprising a substantially U-shaped mem: ber consisting of two portions separated sufliciently to permit the insertion of a menu card or like article between them and end portions attached to the base, and two side members each pivoted to one of the upper terminals of the substantially U-shaped member.

4:. In a support for menu cards, news papers or other like articles, a base and a wire frame extending from the base and comprising a substantially U-shaped member consisting of two portions separated sufiiciently to permit the insertion of a menu card or like article between them and having eyes formed at the upper terminals of the U-shaped and supporting arms pivoted to the eyes.

5. In a support for menu cards, newspapers or other like articles, the combination with a base of a substantially U-shaped member constructed from one piece of wire and consisting of two substantially U- shaped portions extending in proximity and separated sufficiently to permit the insertion between them of a card or like articles and portions depending from the U-shaped portions and attached to the base.

6. In a support for menu cards, newspapers or other like articles, the combination with a base of a substantially U-shaped member constructed from one piece of wire and consisting of two substantially U- shaped portions extending in proximity and separated sufliciently to permit the insertion between them of a card or like articles; one of said U-shaped portions having spirally curled parts constituting supplementary supports and portions depending from the U-shaped portions and attached to the base.

7. In a support for menu cards, newspapers or other like articles, the combination with a base of a substantially U-shaped member constructed from one piece of wire and consisting of two substantially Ushaped portions extending in proximity and separated sufliciently to permit the insertion between them of a card or like articles; said wire being bent or curved upward upon itself to form a rear substantially U-shaped portion, then downward to form a forward substantially U-shaped portion and finally wound around the lower portion of the rear substantially U -shaped portion and bent downward and attached to the base.

HARRY P. DARCHE. ADOLPI-I SCHIVER.

Witnesses L. M. SANGSTER, GEORGE A. NEUBAUER. 

